An American Airlines pilot died Oct. 5, on a flight between Phoenix and Boston. The flight’s co-pilot took over the flight and landed it safely with all 147 passengers and five crew member on board in Syracuse, New York.

Captain Michael Johnston, 57, was piloting Flight #550 when he got sick during the flight. A double bypass surgery back in 2006  lead to the thought that Johnston might have died from a heart attack. An autopsy later revealed that Johnson died of natural causes.

According to the recordings of the crews communication with air traffic control throughout the flight, a crew member said that the captain of the flight was very sick, and later, someone told traffic control that the captain was unresponsive and was not breathing. A flight attendant on board tried to assist the pilot.

The flight landed in Boston five hours after it was scheduled to land. The crew and passengers waited for the Johnston’s body to be removed before heading to Boston. All other members on board were unharmed.

“I am not exactly sure what happens on the flight but it does make me a little bit scared to fly in case it happens on a flight that I was on.”  Senior Irmina Clarke.